Ballroom Dance Terminology - Ballroom College
You might be surprised to discover that the vocabulary for learning, teaching and communicating ballroom, Latin and swing dance is quite vast. At Ballroom College, we have six words we use regularly to teach and learn these partners styles. Our most important vocabulary words are: rhythm, musicality, partnering, footwork, technique and floorcraft. Read further to learn specific definitions for these terms.
Rhythm
Rhythm is exactly what it sounds like - the beat of a song, usually produced by the drum and/or bass guitar. This seemingly simple concept is quite complicated when we start talking about “meter,” “tempo,” and “time signature.” For our basic purposes in partner dance, we talk about “slows,” “quicks,” and “ands.” A “slow” is twice as long as a “quick” - a “quick” usually being one beat of music. These terms reference a weight change that takes place in the amount of time noted - one or two beats. The “and” denotes a an action (not a weight change) that takes one beat of music.
Rhythm is often the focus of teaching partnering dancing because it grounds footwork to the music. Unfortunately, some teachers teach rhythm and not rhythm’s cousin, musicality. Dance with rhythm and without musicality has an inauthentic, practiced, disjointed, unemotional look/feel. For us at Ballroom College, musicality is vital to partner dancing.
Musicality
Balanchine famously said, “dance is music made visible [through the dancer’s body].” Another way of understanding this is to say that the way a dancer expresses music with the body and movement is musicality. This concept of “becoming one with the music” is vital to beautiful partnering dancing as it envelops the partnership in music and each other. We do not use words to communicate in partner dancing. We simply listen to the music and our partner’s movement and craft beautiful conversations that last the length of a song.
Partner dance without musicality often looks like a conversation would sound if someone were crafting sentences despite what the conversation was actually about.
Two people talking about dance:
Person 1: I just love the way ballerina’s float about the floor! I’m dying to see Misty Copeland!
Person 2 (without “musicality”): I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast.
Person 1 (looking quizzically at Person 2): I didn’t have plums in the icebox! I’m planning on going to see American Ballet Theater next weekend to see Misty. Want to go?
Person 2: Forgive me. They were delicious, so cold and so sweet.
Partnering
Partner dance without a partner is, well, not possible. “Partnering” refers to the relationship between the lead and follow (to use traditional language). At Ballroom Dance Chicago and Ballroom College, instead of “leader and follower,” we prefer to say “initiator and responder” because we think it more clearly captures the relationship between partners on the dance floor. The leader or initiator is the one who starts the movement - communicates to the follower or responder where and how to move. The responder interprets this initial lead and performs what they think the initiator intended for them. The initiator then senses the responder - how they’ve interpreted the initial movement - and then follows the responder to wherever they go on the dance floor (so really the leader is a follower too!). Another way of saying this, using the traditional terms, is that the leader initiates movement, the follower responds in the way they see fit, and the leader then follows the follower to their place on the dance floor. Good partnering looks like two people moving perfectly in sync with the other, having a conversation with their bodies and the music.
The opposite of good partnering is often what we see connected to the old language of leader and follower. The leader dictates the movement, forcing the follower to go exactly where they want them to go (the follower is “wrong” if they interpret the lead in any way that wasn’t intended). This type of partnering leads to clunky movement - partners throwing each other off balance, not being gracious, not saying, “yes, and” - partners worrying more about themselves rather than their partner.
Footwork
Footwork is the most basic concept in partner dancing; it is the patterning your feet make on the floor. Think about those old diagrams for teaching partner dance:
That’s a diagram for Waltz. Yes, if we think about Waltz in terms of footwork, that diagram is the Waltz. One of the most common misconceptions is that dance is footwork (or dance figure or dance step, as it’s often referred to) is the most essential part of learning a dance. In fact, the footwork is really only there to teach us concepts and techniques. Eventually, when a dancer understands a dance (say Waltz, since that’s what we’ve already mentioned), they aren’t every really thinking footwork, but, rather, technique, partnering and musicality. Footwork is a byproduct of these things. For example, an initiator would take a forward step in Waltz because in Waltz we would be attempting to move our responder backwards down the floor. We do not take a forward step just because we take forward steps in Waltz - the forward steps is there for reasons outside of itself.
Technique
Technique is what helps differentiate dances. For instance, a box step can be danced in Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba and Salsa. Technique is what makes these box steps look like a specific style of dance. Technique relates to how we hold our bodies, how we connect to our partner, how we connect to the floor.
In regards to partnering, technique also helps us better communicate with our partner. Technique helps us find balance and positioning that leads to fluid movement.
Floorcraft
Floorcraft can be understood as how we need to manipulate our dancing to work on a floor with other dancers (i.e., what do our surrounds permit?). Dances like Waltz and Foxtrot (progressive dances) that travel extensively require a lot of weaving in and out of and around other couples. Salsa and swing, which are much more stationary dances (spot dances), are often danced on very crowded dance floors, requiring much more control while spinning or rotating.
Rules for Both Progressive and Spot Dances
Beginners have much less control than experienced dancers and, thus, have priority on the dance floor. Unless we know everyone on the floor, we cannot assume anyone’s level and should make the assumption that everyone is a beginner unless they prove otherwise. Give everyone space. Don’t cut them off. If you do bump into someone, stop and apologize.
The only space that is yours on a dance floor is the space that is right under you and your partner’s feet.
Don’t invade another couple’s space.
Get a sense for the flow of the floor before you send your partner into a new spot. Another couple may be vying for the same space.
Never feel like you have to complete a step. Stop moving if you’re about to collide with someone.
Make sure to us compact frame and small steps when dancing on a crowded floor.
Use minimal or no arm and leg styling. If you’re randomly throwing arms and legs around, you’ll definitely hit someone.
“Tricks” - lifts and flips - are often not appropriate for a social dance floor.
The social dance floor is not an appropriate place to practice. If you need to work on a move or two, do it off the floor.
Don’t try to squeeze between other dancers.
Sometimes social floors fill up quickly. If it’s too crowded for you to dance comfortably, take a seat and wait for the next song.
An initiator and responder should protect each other from collisions.
Always walk forward onto a dance floor so you can see what’s coming.
Avoid walking across a dance floor.
Food and drink should be kept off of the dance floor.
Check the quality of the floor. Is it slick or sticky? Are there cracks and divots? You may need to limit what you do in order to avoid injury.
Rules for Progressive Dances
Keep moving along the line of dance. Don't stop suddenly unless you’re about to collide with someone. If you need to stop dancing, move off the floor.
The outside “lanes” of the dance floor is used by the more experienced dancers who can travel efficiently.
The inside “lanes” of dance floor is used by less experienced dancers who may move more slowly.
The center of the floor is used for stationary or spot dances.
Don't travel through the center of the dance floor.
Avoid quickly overtaking another couple. Either slow your movement down or switch to another “lane” to pass them.
Don't stress out other couples by dancing too close to them (especially behind)..
It’s is completely appropriate to dance to the center of the floor if you want to switch from progressive to spot dancing, or vice a versa.
If the floor is very crowded, stop trying to progress and make your dance more stationary.
Don't enter onto the floor unless your lane is clear. Just like merging into traffic, wait for a clearing and then starting moving right away.
Rules for Spot Dances
The most important thing with a spot dance is to do is decide where you want to dance. Find a spot that is open enough so you don’t invade someone else’s spot.
Don't unintentionally drift around on the floor. If you want to move to a new spot, do so, but make sure you have control/
Avoid drifting into another couple’s space.
Leave enough space between you and other couples so you can all take a few steps without colliding.
Adapt and orient to what’s already happening on the floor. This is especially important for slot dances like west coast swing.